SelectionF, which promotes female leadership and board expertise, is expanding its operations to Finland. Satu Yrjänen has been appointed as the Chair of SelectionF Finland to lead the new Finnish operations.
SelectionF is a network founded initially in Denmark, aiming to increase the number of women on corporate boards and in top management. The network is already active in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, and is now expanding to Finland, with the goal of growing into an active and influential player in the fields of board work and leadership.
According to the EVA Glass Ceiling Indicator, (In Finnish: EVAn Lasikattomittari) the proportion of female executives in Finland has slightly decreased in 2024, with women now comprising 37.7% of executives. The previous year's figure was 38.4%. The drop is small, but the trend is clear. In Sweden, the corresponding figure is already over 44%, meaning Finland has clearly fallen behind, despite having almost identical education and labour market structures. The representation on corporate boards presents an even more complex picture.
Gender equality has not yet been achieved.
While the representation of women on boards in the Nordic countries is good in international comparison, much remains to be done. In recent years, women have held approximately 30-40% of board seats in various companies across the Nordic region, but the proportion of women in roles such as Board Chairs or CEOs is still significantly lower. Development has been slower across Europe as a whole, which is why the EU has adopted a new directive. This directive mandates that listed companies must aim for a minimum of 40% representation for the under-represented sex among non-executive board members, or alternatively, 33% of all board positions, including CEOs and executive directors, by 30 June 2026. The new rules also aim to improve selection processes: applicants' merit must remain the key selection criterion, and the transparency of procedures must be enhanced.
“We are delighted to welcome Satu Yrjänen to lead the operations in Finland. She has strong experience in strategic management and board work, as well as a passion for promoting diversity in corporate decision-making. We need concrete actions, networks, and coaching that help women advance to board and executive roles. SelectionF has a significant role to play in this,” Mikkel Birn, Group Chair of SelectionF.
Satu Yrjänen sees SelectionF's expansion into Finland as an essential step towards broader Nordic cooperation in promoting female leadership.
“It is a great honour to be involved in bringing SelectionF to Finland. Finland has a strong Nordic value base for promoting equality, but there is still much work to be done in boardrooms and top management. We want to support women who aspire to influential roles in the corporate world and offer them concrete opportunities to develop and network. I believe that cooperation and peer support across national borders are a genuine asset. SelectionF is the only network that connects Nordic women, offers training, coaching, and branding support, while also opening pathways to board positions across the entire Nordic region,” Satu Yrjänen
“This is not just about adding women to boards for the sake of equality; it is about companies needing more diverse expertise and perspectives to succeed. The expertise of women from different backgrounds brings new thinking, the courage to innovate, and a greater ability to understand changes in society and the market to the boardroom,” Yrjänen states.
The official launch of SelectionF Finland's operations will take place in late 2025, and the first events and collaboration programmes will be announced in late 2025, early 2026. In addition to the Chair, an active Advisory Board will guide the Finnish operations. The goal is to create an active and influential network that connects business leaders, board professionals, and partners, helping women to rise to board and top executive positions. SelectionF Finland will be seeking new members and partnerships during the spring of 2026.
/SelectionF
